Dispel Discouragement
I’ve failed more times than I can count. And for the longest time, I thought failure meant I wasn’t good enough. Every mistake, every misstep, every rejection felt like proof that I should just quit.
But then, I became a father.
When I watched my daughters growing up, I saw them fail constantly—falling while learning to walk, struggling to pronounce words, trying again and again to do things their little hands and minds weren’t quite ready for. But never once did I look at them and say, “Well, that was pathetic. You’ll never get this right.”
No, I encouraged them. “Almost! Try again. You’re getting there.” I never saw their failures as real failures—just part of the process of growing. And then, one day, it hit me like a brick: Why don’t I treat myself the same way?
For years, I had been my own worst critic. Every time I failed at something—a business attempt, a creative project, a personal goal—I let it eat away at me. I convinced myself I wasn’t capable. I let discouragement win. But watching my daughters taught me something crucial: Failure is not the opposite of success. It’s the path to it.
Think about it. A baby playing a game with their parents tries to pick up a ball but doesn’t have the grip strength yet. They fail. Over and over. But does anyone think that means they’ll never succeed? Of course not. We know they’ll get there. We see every attempt as progress, even if they don’t yet.
So why do we forget that when it comes to ourselves?
When I finally understood this, everything changed. I stopped beating myself up for failing and started recognizing that every setback was simply a step forward in disguise. I began treating myself with the same patience and encouragement I gave my daughters. And suddenly, success became possible—because I was no longer stopping myself before I had the chance to reach it.
The truth is, most people never realize how important failure is. They give up too soon, thinking that a few failed attempts mean they aren’t cut out for something. But every person who has ever succeeded has failed first—many, many times.
So next time you stumble, ask yourself: Am I treating myself like a loving parent treats a child learning to walk, or am I tearing myself down? Because the way you interpret failure determines whether you keep going or give up.
And trust me—if you keep going, you’ll get there.